To someone who doesn’t do self love affirmations, they may seem silly. And rightfully so, how can saying these silly little phrases make me feel better about myself? You might even feel a little bit dumb, saying all this weird stuff that you don’t really believe. But believe it or not, using these affirmations can actually help you feel a little bit better when you need that boost. And with the way the world is right now (an applicable phrase no matter when you’re reading this), there is no shame in accepting help when you need it. Especially if it’s from yourself.
We are all more than familiar with criticising ourselves, mostly. And it is a useful skill! We’ve all seen people who act like no one’s ever told them no, even themselves. Being able to control ourselves is an essential part of living in society, and part of that comes to being self aware enough to give yourself criticism. But it is also quite important to be able to give yourself grace. Too much criticism can end up turning into you just being straight up cruel to yourself, so here are a couple of affirmations and how they can be helpful for you.
In all, studies show that affirmations are on the whole useful because they contribute to people’s ability to broaden their perspectives. In addition, it reminds people of ‘psychosocial’ resources that can help them through any threats they are facing, focusing on positive self-worth that transcends the threats. Those are big words, but in essence they mean that saying nice things about yourself can help you remember that there are good things about you even if you don’t really believe it at first. The study also mentions how reflecting on yourself in a positive manner can help you sort your mind out more effectively, which equips you better to deal with negative situations in your life, which are more than usually not as bad as you might think.
But say you don’t know where to start? It’s a difficult question to answer, and it’s because there’s just so much about you that’s good that it is just so hard to pick one. Yes, you can smile at that.
A good place to start is well, at the start. The beginning of your day is one of the most important, so it is good to begin your day on a positive note. Try, “May I experience something abundantly good today,” or “Today I am stepping into boundless possibilities,” or even a “I am committed to personal growth today.” It makes it easier to keep these things in mind if you say them out loud, preferably to yourself in the mirror or at the very least in a quiet space. Saying these affirmations to yourself helps keep you centered and peaceful when you need it.
Self love affirmations are especially useful when you are going through a hard time, in which case it at the very least cannot help to try and remind yourself of the good things in life. Being in a bad place can cause your brain to metaphorically sink into a hole that you can’t see out of too well, and so having affirmations on hand can keep you grounded in reality when things seem to be falling apart. Try affirmations such as, “I never give up trying,” which might help you persevere through a tough time. Or, “I am deserving of kindness and compassion,” simply because you are indeed deserving. Everyone deserves that, and you are no exception. And, “May I experience comfort and peace in this difficult time.” Can help you focus on the good parts of your life, of which there are many more than you might expect. In all, remind yourself that it’s hard to be human and you’re allowed to make mistakes. Focus on the good so that when it's time to handle the bad, you are ready and able.
And lastly, it can be important to show yourself gratitude for the life you are living. Whether or not you are in a good place, it is more than likely that you have a couple of things to be thankful for in your life. (If you don’t then either refer to the previous paragraphs or get your life together!)
That aside, there are a number of affirmations you may want to use to be thankful and show yourself proper gratitude for your life. “I deserve good things, like happiness and joy” is nice because aside from being true, it is a constructive phrase to hold in your heart. Seeking happiness in your life can lead to good things and help remind you of the good parts of the life you are living. Or try, “I trust that everything is going to work out for me,” because it can help keep your eyes looking forward in your life and feel the support of everything that led you to the place you are now. And lastly, “I am grateful for all the experiences I have had in my life thus far.” Use this while you actually think about the things in your life that put you where you are now. Be thankful for these things, but also be proud of yourself for the work you did to get where you are now.
In all, while they may sound stupid at first, it is truly helpful to your mental health to do self love affirmations even if you feel like you don’t need it. So give it a try!
If you found this article helpful, then why not look at this article about mindful and healthy eating? Or alternatively, maybe you’ll like this article about how to deal with calls from unknown numbers.
